Strong Rock Shows Strength at Soundz Career Tech Workshop
April 17, 2009

Strong Rock Christian School in Locust Grove, GA (www.strongrockchristianschool.com/) hosted Soundzabound Professionals this past April 17th for their first ever Career Tech Workshop just prior to Career Day.

Fifty students from grades 9-12, all from Mandy Powell’s Technology Class, participated in a seven hour workshop on business basics and internet marketing.

The workshop was facilitated by co-founder and President of Soundz, Barry Starlin Britt, Lisa M. Scherer (trainer) and Hal Fletcher of Soundzabound Corporate, with guest speaker Zen Hardy of Zen Web Services (www.zenwebservices.com).

The students received inspiration from Mr. Britt about the importance of creating jobs as he tapped into their creativity to be innovators and not followers in order to make a difference in a recessed economy.  Mrs. Scherer followed with an analysis of YouTube, FaceBook, MySpace and Google.  Then Mr. Hardy spoke to the students about initiating their business ideas into an executable plan.

After receiving some basic information on business models, branding and internet marketing, the students did a working lunch where seven pre-selected Project Managers (whom Mr. Britt chose during the course of the morning) picked their teams.

Following the brain-storming lunch session, they learned how to create and publish a podcast, which was a one-hour workshop conducted by Mrs. Scherer and Mr. Fletcher.

At that point, each team had one hour to record and publish a three minute commercial to pitch their company.  The students were able to apply what they had learned about company name selection, branding, slogans, taglines and working together as a team.

With only 1.5 hours, the students had to form the company, write the script, produce and publish the podcast, which they posted to an education-safe Social Network setup by Soundzabound so that students could easily share and their completed ideas.  The podcasts were posted on the students home pages they created, and Team Leaders were asked to come to the front of the class to present their business concept and play their podcast.

Principal Clay Osburne, Technology Teacher Emily Osburne, Spanish Teacher Colleen Tavares and Coach Johnny Gilbert, each posed as an American Idol judge to select the winners of the competition.  (This of course was a great way to wrap up the day).

are definitely professionals and were great with the students.”

The Soundzabound Trainers in return had remarked that the Strong Rock students were one of the best student groups they had ever taught.  Hal Fletcher said of the students, “it was amazing to see how quickly they caught on, took things seriously, and went right to work in their teams.  They did better than contestants on The Apprentice.”

Look for more pictures and an upcoming video which documents “Strong Rock Career Tech 2009” in our next-month’s Soundzabound Newsletter.